Automated fraudulent altering and photocopying detection utilizing steganographic pattern detection

Abstract

Systems, methods, and machines for automatically verifying the authenticity and integrity of a ticket such as an instant lottery ticket, a draw lottery ticket, a passive lottery ticket, and/or a Ticket In Ticket Out (Tito) ticket. The systems, methods, and machines verify the authenticity and integrity of a ticket by capturing a first image of the ticket, verifying that the first captured image does not show an apparent steganographic pattern, processing the first captured image to produce a second image, and then verifying that the second image does show an apparent steganographic pattern.

The invention claimed is: 
     
         1 . A steganographic pattern detection electronic validation machine, the steganographic pattern detection electronic validation machine comprising:
 a housing;   a camera supported by the housing in a position to capture a digital image of a ticket with a steganographic pattern printed in a background area of the ticket;   a digital processor supported by the housing; and   a memory device supported by the housing and storing a plurality of instructions, which when executed by the digital processor, cause the digital processor to:
 orient the captured digital image to an X/Y grid, 
 find edges of the ticket in the captured digital image, 
 align the edges of the ticket in the captured digital image to the X/Y grid, 
 analyze the captured digital image for no apparent pattern, 
 create a modified digital image to reveal the steganographic pattern by analyzing the captured digital image for any apparent patterns printed in the background area of the ticket, and 
 verify that the captured digital image did not include an apparent pattern and that the modified digital image did include an apparent pattern, thereby validating authenticity of the ticket. 
   
     
     
         2 . The steganographic pattern detection electronic validation machine of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the digital processor, cause the digital processor to orient the captured digital image to the X/Y grid using optical character recognition scanning of the captured digital image for the presence of human-readable text, and to orient the captured digital image such that the human-readable text is right side up. 
     
     
         3 . The steganographic pattern detection electronic validation machine of  claim 2 , wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the digital processor, cause the digital processor to use the human-readable text to identify a configuration of the steganographic pattern. 
     
     
         4 . The steganographic pattern detection electronic validation machine of  claim 1 , wherein the ticket is a draw game lottery ticket. 
     
     
         5 . The steganographic pattern detection electronic validation machine of  claim 1 , wherein the ticket is a passive lottery ticket. 
     
     
         6 . The steganographic pattern detection electronic validation machine of  claim 1 , wherein the ticket is a Ticket In Ticket Out (Tito) ticket. 
     
     
         7 . The steganographic pattern detection electronic validation machine of  claim 1 , wherein the steganographic pattern of the ticket is a void pantograph. 
     
     
         8 . The steganographic pattern detection electronic validation machine of  claim 7 , wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the digital processor, cause the digital processor to use a skewed digital line scanner process on the modified digital ticket image. 
     
     
         9 . The steganographic pattern detection electronic validation machine of  claim 1 , wherein the steganographic pattern is a moiré pattern. 
     
     
         10 . The steganographic pattern detection electronic validation machine of  claim 9 , wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the digital processor, cause the digital processor to process the modified digital ticket image using a moiré pattern overlay. 
     
     
         11 . The steganographic pattern detection electronic validation machine of  claim 1 , wherein the steganographic pattern is a Benday pattern. 
     
     
         12 . The steganographic pattern detection electronic validation machine of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the digital processor, cause the digital processor to use a color filter to detect the steganographic pattern. 
     
     
         13 . The steganographic pattern detection electronic validation machine of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the digital processor, cause the digital processor to use a line filter to detect the steganographic pattern. 
     
     
         14 . The steganographic pattern detection electronic validation machine of  claim 1 , wherein the steganographic pattern comprises a series of letters. 
     
     
         15 . A steganographic pattern detection electronic validation machine for verifying the authenticity of a document having a steganographic pattern printed in a background area, the steganographic pattern detection electronic validation machine comprising:
 a housing;   a digital camera supported by the housing in a position to capture a digital image of the document;   a digital processor; and   a memory device storing a plurality of instructions, which when executed by the digital processor, cause the digital processor to:
 generate a modified image of the document comprising an X/Y grid, 
 use the modified image to verify that the pattern is not readily apparent, 
 create a digital photocopy of the modified image, 
 save a resultant digital image, and 
 determine one of:
 an absence of a pattern in the captured digital image of the document, and 
 an appearance of the pattern in the modified image of the document to verify authenticity of the document. 
 
   
     
     
         16 . The steganographic pattern detection electronic validation machine of  claim 15 , wherein the steganographic pattern is one of a plurality of different possible steganographic patterns. 
     
     
         17 . The steganographic pattern detection electronic validation machine of  claim 15 , wherein the steganographic pattern is a Benday pattern. 
     
     
         18 . The steganographic pattern detection electronic validation machine of  claim 15 , wherein the steganographic Benday pattern is printed as a void pantograph. 
     
     
         19 . The steganographic pattern detection electronic validation machine of  claim 15 , wherein the steganographic pattern is of a first color, and wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the digital processor, cause the digital processor to use a color filter to detect the steganographic pattern via blocking out two other different colors than the first color. 
     
     
         20 . The steganographic pattern detection electronic validation machine of  claim 15 , wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the digital processor, cause the digital processor to use a line filter to detect the steganographic pattern.